High Stand

Visitor information

A delightful coniferous woodland ideal for an easy outdoor stroll or dog walk

Just south of Carlisle, High Stand provides a picturesque setting for your next outdoor adventure. Take a circular walk around pleasant fishing ponds and follow the networks of public footpaths to extend your day out.

At a glance

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What's on

Forest event
Saturday 31 August
Start 12pm
Meet at Eden Valley Glamping site

Eden Valley is a beautiful glamping site, situated in the stunning Cumbrian countryside. Located near Carlisle, Eden Valley Glamping has forests, meadows and pasture-land, hedgerows and ponds, which make it perfect for foraging! High Stand Woods is a 250 hectare woodland, situated 200 yards and a five minute walk away from the Eden Valley Glamping site. It is home to a variety of wildlife, such as deer and squirrels, including a few reds and has a woodland pool too.  Enjoy great views over the Eden Valley to the Pennines, rising to Cross Fell at 2930 feet (893m), the highest point in England outside the Lake District.

The Foraging Courses begin with a short introduction to Wild Food UK, a bit about what to expect from your day and a brief summary of the general countryside codes, including Wild Food UK's foraging code. 

Heading off at a leisurely pace around the area, your instructor will teach you how to safely identify the different species of edible and poisonous plants and mushrooms that you discover. This exploration will take about 2.5hrs, during which the group will take a break for a homemade refreshment, such as  warming Wild Mushroom Soup.

After the walk,  the group will head back for a tasty wild food meal. This will include a selection of foraged homemade treats created by your instructor, and a dish made with what has been collected during the walk. All of the food is seasonal, so what you are served depends on what is growing at that time of year. In Spring we will be making use of the fresh wild greens and in Autumn, the array of tasty wild mushrooms that the area has to offer.

You will receive a comprehensive set of Wild Food UK ‘Course Notes’ a few days after your course. This email will contain links and articles relating to the plants and mushrooms discovered or discussed during the day.

Things to do

Walking is the perfect way to get some fresh air and explore some of the area's most beautiful landscapes.

High Stand has a range of public footpaths for you to walk on. 

Nearby forests

unsurfaced forest clearing

Nestled adjacent to the River Eden between Carlisle and Penrith, Coombs Wood is a natural sanctuary just waiting to be explored on foot. 

Dodd Wood from Bassenthwaite Lake

Dodd Wood is a fantastic place to get some stunning views of the northern Lake District. The network of walking trails will take you deep into the woodland and walk to the top of Dodd Summit for views across the fells.

You may also see red squirrels in the wood throughout the year.

A dog walking along a trail with two adults behind - one walking and one using an off-road mobility scooter

Whinlatter is home to stunning views, fantastic walks, exhilarating mountain biking, rare wildlife and adventure play.

Set within the Lake District, a World Heritage Site, Whinlatter has unrivalled views across Bassenthwaite Lake, Derwentwater and Keswick. It is also home to the longest purpose-built mountain bike trails in the Lake District. 

Beech trees

It is enjoyed by walkers, runners, horse riders, schools and nature enthusiasts.

Please note: there is a network of unofficial mountain bike trails at Setmurthy that Forestry England does not endorse.

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